Alien Zombie Death is a classic arcade-style shooter that features a good variety of enemy types and level designs. You must navigate platform structures while destroying waves of enemies to survive and building your combo meter to obtain high scores.
The game’s 14 levels are unlocked by obtaining medals as you play. These medals are awarded for destroying a set number of enemies, collecting coins and reaching certain scores. Each level has eight medals to collect and it will take you a while to earn them all.
Horizontal and vertical movement can be controlled with the d-pad or analog stick and you fire weapons left and right using the square and circle buttons respectively. You can also move vertically using the cross and triangle buttons.
The longer you survive in a level, the more enemies will appear. Obstacles like moving electrical fields and indestructible saw blades will also begin to appear, making navigation more treacherous. There are three weapon pickups to help you along the way, though they only last for a few seconds.
Every few levels new enemy types will be added to the mix including larger boss type enemies, each with a unique behaviour and attack pattern. Some levels are wide and flat, while others are tall and skinny and some have pre existing obstacles. This diversity helps keep the game fresh and made me want to collect as many medals on each level as possible.
The game looks great on both the PSP and PS3 and features detailed character and background art, as well as lots of onscreen enemies. The sound effects are good and feature distinct audio cues for collectibles and enemies appearing, though there is no music to speak of.
Alien Zombie Death is an addictive shooting experience that provides good value at a $3.99 price point. It can be played in short sessions as a portable game, or for long periods of time on the couch at home.
Positives:
+ Fast-Paced and Challenging Gameplay
+ Lots of Unique Enemy Types
+ Large Number of Medal to Earn
+ Great Graphics
Negatives:
– Weapon Power-Ups are Ineffective
– No Music